The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-02-17

The Question OF the Hour is
whether Pearson or Fur
man is ON Top!
THIS IS THE SUN AND SUBsTANGE
OF THE AFFAIR.
1t. Coz. Stedman attacked By Mr.
Pearson.

EeuTS0Tts
Pursuant TO call, there was large at.
iendance yesterday at the court haasse
III sections of the county keing rspt.s
:entes, consider the iior ct Z e
stock Law for Bancombe county and It's
present Status in the Legislature.
On motion, Col. v. s. Lusk was called
% the chair, and the representatives of
The press requested to act as Secretaries,
Col. Lusk, in explaining the object of
the meeting, said it was to enquire who
were the representatives of Buncombei
representatives elected or
outsiders in the Senate chamber. The
Senate having refused to adopt the &C.
tion of the House as to affairs in Bun
combe county would lead to the latter
Mr.. E. D. Carter moved that a COM
tee of one be appointed from each town
ship to report resolutions for the consid-
Grafton of the meeting, and the follow
ing gentlemen were appointed:
Black Mountain james McNair.
Swannanoa-George Young.
Fair View-A H Pinkerton.
Limestone-W R Murray.
Avery's Creek-R Ledbetter,
Lower Hominy-A H Bryson.
Upper Hominy-Geo. Howell.
Leicester-O R Jones.
Sandy Mush-T J Ferguson.
Reems Creek H Hemphill
Flat Creek-M L Fox.
Asheville--E D Carter.
Mr.. Vim. NJ. Davies, of Henderson (En-
crossing Clerk of the House), responded
to calls and made vigorous attack on the
Senate substitute for the Pearson repeal
bill, which he characterized as the Furman'
Wilson bill. He argued for the principles
of Democracy and Republicanisnl of 1oe
years ago, and deeply regretted that We did
not find such democracy of sentiment and
practice existing now. He emitted his
anathema and maranathemaupon the SEN
ate and the doings of Furman, and the
workings of all who wished to place upon
the people ''this damnable tyranny" and
the destruction of the general principles OF
freedom as exercised by the gentlemen
opposed to the.views he advocated, were
put in his usual forcible style.
Representative Alonzo Wells responded
to calls. He said he had escaped severe
injuries the night before by an accident to
a "stock law" carriage which had upset
with him, but that he was enabled to be
present upon one good leg. He was here
to report to his people in part what had
been accomplished by him and his associ-
ate in the House-and what he had been
unable to accomplish by the action of the
Independents on certain measures-to1
course no reference was made in this con-
nection to Mr.. Pearson's vote on the
County Government question:. The Sen.
ate so far had set down on everything
that had been introduced in the House for
the relief of the people, and this meeting
was for the purpose of giving expression
to the people of Buncombe as to what they
wanted. But little or no trouble had been
experienced in the House in getting through
the Pearson stock law repeal bill, but the
Senate had seen fit to kill this measure at
the instance of the delegation that had been
sent down to defeat Mr.. Pearson's meas.
ure: He named the delegation, and de.
nounced them as fat-doodles. These men
should not have welded an influence
against the 1900 majority which Buncom5e
gave last fall. He said he had but little
hope at this late day in the session of any,
thing being accomplished for the relief Of
the people. The House had refused the
Furman Wilson substitute, and he consid.
cred that, as well as the original bill dead
the only hope now was with the conference
committee of the two houses. Should
nothing be done, the people would be lef
in no worse condition than they are in now
At this juncture the committee on reso
lutions reported the following resolutions
which were adopted
We, Ihe citizens of Buncombe
county in mass-meeting assembled
who believe that the sovereignty Of
the people, in our democratic form oi
government should be practical as
well as theoretical fact in politica
ethics. and should me n now, as il
originally meant something more
than an empty political dogma; ant
that the principle of local self-gov-
eminent should be with us as it wal
with our forefathers something more
than a Utopian dream or a denaa-
gogue's argument; and that the deni
al of the peoples sovereignty, and
the violation, to the smallest degree
of their sacred right to determine all
local questions for themselves, il
an open menace to the perpetuity O
our liberties and subyersfve of oul
constitutional freedom.
ResolUed 1st, That we condemI
as wholly undemocratica and despoti
the method by which the stock Law
has been forced on certains portion
of the county, against the we'll i-kueWI